This style of armour, which prevailed for so long a period, and of which examples in some form or other exist in almost every museum of importance, saw its origin in the reign of the Emperor Maximilian, from whom it is named. It is essentially the late Gothic style of armour richly decorated with fluting, and reinforced by numerous extra pieces designed to afford additional security to the wearer in the tilt-yard. For the battle-field the plain, unornamental armour of the Transition Period was invariably used; the Maximilian was for tilting and pageant purposes chiefly, and for display. Its introduction, and subsequent development upon the lines followed by the civil dress, was a sign of the decadence of armour for use in the battle-field—the turning-point which eventually led to its abolition.

The invention and use of gunpowder was the death-knell of chivalry in the full sense of its meaning. The mail-clad knight and the heavily armed man-at-arms had played their part through many centuries, and were now to disappear; steel-clad squadrons in all the majestic might of the pomp and circumstance of glorious war, with levelled lance and mantling streaming in the wind, had lived their day and were now to be no more, Armour had served its purpose so long as sword and lance, javelin and bolt, were the usual weapons of war; but when it was discovered that against the deadly lead of the arquebus it was of no avail, it was gradually discarded as obsolete and cumbersome.

All the examples of Maximilian armour present the same broad features, and can be easily recognised. As an effective defence against lance and sword and mace they were extremely efficacious, and the armourers of the period attained a high degree of excellence in producing suits which were, for tourney purposes, invulnerable. The general features of the armour followed the lines shown in Fig. 358, which is taken from a drawing by Hans Burgkmair in 1508, and represents the Emperor Maximilian I.

A suit (Fig. 359) eminently typical of Maximilian armour, having its whole surface ridged throughout in closely grouped channels, is in the Wallace Collection; it was manufactured at Nuremberg in 1535. The closed helmet (Fig. 360) is of a very fine pattern, simple but effective, with visor and baviÈre in one piece, only a narrow occularium being pierced for sight. The neck articulates with the upper plate of the gorget, which consists of four plates (Fig. 361).

The breastplate (Fig. 362) is ridged with a strongly marked tapul upon the large placcate which strengthens it; the double-headed eagle appears upon the upper portion of this. In the upper centre of the breastplate proper is a hole of square section for affixing a mentonniÈre or bufe. To the backplate (Fig. 363), in the lower part of which occurs a fleur-de-lys, a garde-de-rein of two plates is attached.

The taces of three plates have the tassets fastened to the lower lame. The pauldrons (Fig. 364) are large and of a different pattern for each shoulder, the right being hollowed for the lance, with a roundel to protect the opening. The inside bend of the arm has fourteen splints for protection, as may be seen from the illustration (Fig. 365). Strange to say, the inner bends of the knees have the same protection (Fig. 366).

The sabbatons present a very fine example of the “bear’s paw” pattern; they are attached to the jambarts, which, as usual in this style, are not fluted (Fig. 367). In many of the European collections, suits of armour of this pattern may be found.

The Helmet.—The closed helmet continued to be used during this period, though modified and altered in many particulars by the armourers. The flutings are carried as a rule from front to back over the crown, and the universal comb is decorated with a roped pattern. The visor is generally moulded into three or four ridges, giving the well-known bellows appearance. The gorget is affixed to the helmet, and appears as three or more spreading lames of steel, the lowest being worked into a pattern; at times, however, it appears distinct, and the helmet revolves upon the expanded upper edge of the gorget.

A very perfect type of close helmet is shown in Fig. 368, in which the comb is much larger than was the custom at an earlier date and resembles that of a morion. The visor is formed of two parts, the upper or visor proper, which falls down inside the second part or baviÈre, and could be raised for vision if required without disturbing the lower portion. The date is c. 1560, and it is probably Milanese. The helmet engraved in Fig. 369 is of English origin and partakes of the nature of a helmet and also a burgonet. The latter form of helmet appeared during the Burgundian wars, hence its name, at the beginning of the fifteenth century, and is essentially a helmet with cheek-pieces attached, the protection for the face being afforded by separate pieces, the bufe or laminated chin-piece being used at times. Fig. 370 is an Italian burgonet dating from 1540.

For war purposes the salade was still preferred, though the form in the Maximilian Period was at variance with that in the Tabard, and even in the Transition, Period. A fine example, dating from 1520, is preserved in the Wallace Collection (Fig. 371). It has a low comb, and the neck-guard is broken up into three lobster-tail plates. The visor is large, and contains the occularium; in the lower part it is hollowed so as to fit the chin, while a series of breathing-holes are pierced through the centre.

The Breastplate is short and furnished with goussets sliding upon almayne rivets; a cable pattern appears upon the turned-over edges, and flutings radiate from the waist upwards. A placcate is often found reinforcing the breastplate after the manner of the fifteenth century Gothic suits, and this feature may be seen exemplified in Fig. 224 in the Wallace Collection. If a placcate is not used, at times a thick band of steel makes a reinforcement round the waist, forming an integral part of the breastplate. The taces are generally three or four in number, and to the lowest are affixed the tassets, which are laminated, and of three or more plates, taking the place of the now obsolete tuilles. To the backplate is affixed the garde-de-rein, or kidney guard, which may be of chain mail, or laminated scales; if of plates these are placed inside each other upwards, so as to guard against the thrust of the pike from a footman. The scales, if used, are also turned in the same direction.

The breastplate of the earlier part of this period was more globular than the Gothic example; the slight ridge down the centre gradually developed into a strongly marked tapul (Fig. 372). In the first years of Elizabeth’s reign the tapul was humped in the centre with a very marked projection, but as the reign progressed this hump descended until it was near the lower edge and produced the peascod form (Figs. 373, 374), which was an imitation in metal of the doublet then prevalent. For combats on foot the breastplate was often made entirely of lames of plate moving upon rivets, thus insuring great freedom of movement for the body (Fig. 375).

The Pauldrons are invariably furnished with large pike-guards; the left differs from the right, which is hollowed to receive the lance, with a roundel falling over it for protection. The arm defences are laminated where possible, and large butterfly coudiÈres occur. In some suits the inside bend of the arms, and also the backs of the knees, are protected by a series of laminated plates affording great protection while allowing complete freedom of movement; the beautiful workmanship and accurate adjustment of these lames are especially noteworthy. An example from the Wallace Collection is given in Fig. 376; there are two examples in that museum and another in the Tower, upon a suit made for Henry VIII. for fighting on foot.The Cuisses, &c.—These are long, and furnished with one or more laminated plates at the tops for flexibility. They are generally complete, covering the back of the leg as well as the front; to insure mobility the back at times is composed of lames. The genouilliÈres are small and tight-fitting, but provided with large plates to protect the back of the knee. The jambarts are close-fitting and of fine form, and these are the only parts undecorated with fluting which appears more or less over the whole suit. Sabbatons are of the bear’s paw pattern, the toes being at times of remarkably wide dimensions.

The brayette was generally composed of steel plates, although examples exist which are made of a single plate. It was designed to afford protection to the abdomen, as the breastplate only descended as far as the waist, where the brayette was affixed by means of straps. At times it was made entirely of chain mail modelled to the form, while many suits exhibit the cuisses, tassets, and brayette made in one piece. In deference to British susceptibilities these pieces are removed from contemporary suits of armour in our museums and exhibited separately, but on the Continent they are invariably shown in position.

The tilting reinforcements were many and varied, but a few of the most prominent may be described.

The Grande Garde.—This was a protection for the left side of the breastplate and the left shoulder; it extended from the neck to the waist, and generally covered a small portion of the right of the breastplate as well. In Fig. 377 the general shape is indicated, the left or bridle arm being incapable of a forward movement when it was affixed. The three large screws and nuts are for securing it to the breastplate, and also for engaging with the lower edge of the volante piece, which in this example is separate, and has oblong indentations for that purpose as seen at A.

The Volante Piece.—This reinforcement was intended for the protection of the neck and face up to the eyes; it was either separate from the grande garde, as in Fig. 377, or formed a part of it as in Fig. 378, where a series of studs are shown which permanently fix it. In this example an oblong slit is shown in the lower part of the grande garde by which an attachment to the breastplate can be effected. If no grande garde is used a volante piece similar to a large mentonniÈre in construction was affixed to the breastplate, generally by three screws, and while effectually protecting both sides of the helmet was also prolonged over both shoulders.

A combined grande garde and volante piece (Fig. 379) is represented upon a king engaged in combat in the field in a fifteenth century missal presented by the Duchess of Burgundy to Henry VI., which indicates that some of the reinforcements used in the tilting yard were at times made available for war purposes; this, however, was the exception and not the rule.

The Manteau d’Armes.—This piece consists of a large concave shield intended to protect the left side of the breastplate and the left shoulder, and was used in the Italian or Free Course. It was firmly fixed to the breastplate by screws. The surface of the shield was usually embossed with a raised trellis-work design, either appliquÉ or raised from the surface by repoussÉ; this arrangement was intended to furnish a “grip” for the adversary’s lance (Fig. 381).

The Polder Mitten, or Épaule de Mouton, was attached to the right vambrace, and afforded protection against lance-thrusts to the bend of the arm and the parts immediately above and below. The example shown in Fig. 382 is from the Tower of London.

The Garde-de-Bras was essentially a protection for the left arm in tilting; it was attached to the coudiÈre.

The Maximilian armour for fighting on foot in the lists was of very elaborate workmanship, but not as a rule embellished with the ornamentation which distinguished the equestrian suit. A complete suit for this purpose is preserved in the Tower; it was made for King Henry VIII., and is one of the finest in existence, containing as it does over two hundred sepa[Pg 288]
[Pg 289]rate pieces, most of them provided with a hollow groove which fits over a corresponding ridge upon the adjacent piece, thus presenting such a perfect interlocking system that the suit could not be taken to pieces without the greatest trouble. There are no goussets or exposed parts of the person of the wearer, the whole body being enclosed in a case of steel whose joints do not permit of the passage of a pin. It weighs nearly one hundred pounds, and has the broad-toed sabbatons of the period, and not only is the armour carried inside the legs and arms at the bends but plates are also provided under the seat. The breastplate has a slight ridging down the centre, the precursor of the tapul or prominent projection so characteristic of the breastplates immediately following. Upon this suit arm and knee protections are used similar to those illustrated in Fig. 376.

Lamboys or Bases.—The drapery used at this time, depending in folds from the waist and hanging over the thighs, was occasionally imitated in steel, but examples preserved to the present age are of great rarity.

The finest in existence is probably that preserved in the Tower, which once belonged to Henry VIII.; it is a suit made by Seusenhofer of Innsbruck, and was presented to the king by Maximilian I., in 1514 (Fig. 384). It is shown mounted in the collection, a portion of the lamboys back and front being removable for the purpose. A close helmet with gorget attached protects the head and neck; pike-guards are affixed to both pauldrons, and a tapul appears upon the breastplate. The legs are encased in close-fitting plate defences with no elaborate ornamentation; indeed, but for a beautifully-designed border in brass with the initials H and K appearing upon it, it is now practically devoid of ornamentation. This, however, was compensated for when new by being silvered.

A most interesting three-quarter suit of armour of this period, dating from 1520, was formerly in the Meyrick Collection but is now in the Wallace. It was made in imitation of the slashed and puffed dress of the early part of the sixteenth century, and these features are reproduced by repoussÉ from the back of the plates in steel (Fig. 385). Other suits of a similar character are in existence (a portion of one being in the Tower), but no other so fully exemplifies this peculiarity as the Wallace example. The helmet is of the closed type with a bellows-pattern front of five ridges, the visor and baviÈre being in one piece; the chin-piece is singular in being of only one plate hinged upon the left side of the helmet. The gorget is a standard collar of mail. The breastplate is globose and furnished with laminated plate goussets (Fig. 391); five plates form the taces, while tassets (Figs. 387, 388) of five plates are moulded round the thighs; the protection behind is afforded by a culette (Fig. 390), an arrangement of five plates, shaped to the figure, and depending from the backplate (Fig. 389), thus taking the place of the garde-de-rein. Upon these suits (i.e. for fighting on foot) were at times worn the grotesque helmets which many museums exhibit, showing satanic faces, and extravagant erections upon the head. One of these is the well-known ram’s-horn visor in the Tower, a present from the Emperor Maximilian to Henry VIII. It was formerly gilt, but has subsequently been painted and furnished with a pair of spectacles. Allied to these grotesque helmets were the pageant varieties, of which a number are extant at the present day. They were made solely for processions, triumphs, general obsequies, &c., of gilded leather, wood, and other materials. Examples are given in Figs. 392, 393, and 394.

The latter half of the Maximilian Period, or broadly speaking from about 1545 to 1600, saw a change in armour which renders it distinct from the preceding half. The rich flutings were discarded by reason of their tendency to hold the opponent’s lance and to direct its head towards vulnerable spots. As a substitute for the ornamental fluting the plain surface of the steel became covered with rich artistic designs, some of them being of exquisite beauty and marvellous workmanship, while occasionally repoussÉ work was added to heighten the effect. Aqua fortis was freely used for etching in combination with hand engraving, while damascening in gold and silver was also resorted to, the resulting suit presenting the absolute perfection of ornamentation of that particular character. But it is only in the surface decoration that we can admire the armour of the period, for in other respects it falls far short of that which preceded it. The outline was in most cases grotesque, or bordering upon it; the metal was thinner and lighter than before, while the devices for permitting it to cover the bombasted breeches, so fashionable at the period, effectually mars its beauty of outline. So similar in contour and general configuration of the several parts is the armour of this time (which may be termed the Decorative Period) that a description of one suit is to all intents and purposes a description of the whole, and the suits severally preserved at the Armourers’ Hall and the Wallace Collection will answer the purpose. These were made by the celebrated English armourer, Jacobi, whose illustrated album of twenty-nine suits, made by him between 1560 and 1590, is now in the South Kensington Museum. The album was sold at the Spitzer sale to M. Stein and was acquired by the nation; it is of extreme value to the student of armour, and a reproduction of the work has been issued. The suits were made for the Duke of Norfolk, the Earls of Rutland, Bedford, Leicester, Sussex, Worcester, Pembroke, and Cumberland, Sir Henry Lee, Master of the Armoury, Sir Christopher Hatton, &c., and a number have been preserved and identified by the details in the album. The suit in the Armourers’ Hall is one of the three made for Sir Henry Lee, while that in the Wallace Collection was made for Sir Thomas Sackville, created Baron of Buckhurst in 1567, and subsequently Earl of Dorset. This suit came from the ChÂteau Coulommiers en Brie, and was taken thence when the chÂteau was dismantled during the first French Revolution (Fig. 395).

The Helmets are of the closed pattern, of the burgonet type, with an umbril or shade for the eyes, made after the style of a visor and coming well forward, while a falling baviÈre (Fig. 398) is hinged at the sides and projects well to the front, forming an occularium with the umbril (Fig. 396). A deep comb passes over the top of the helmet. The Sackville suit has a triple-barred face-guard as well (Fig. 397). A morion could be worn with these suits; it was an oval helmet with a high crest like a comb, and a brim which was peaked both before and behind (Fig. 415).

The Gorget consisted of four lames of plate.

Breastplates.—These are all of the peascod form with roped turnover borders and the goussets laminated with one plate. The backplates are secured to the breastplates by steel straps over the shoulders and under the arms (Figs. 397 and 398).

Taces are of four plates adapted to cover the bombasted breeches. In the Wallace suit the taces are of one plate only, to which are permanently affixed the Tassets of four plates, and these may be detached from the lower edge of the breastplate if required, so as to permit of the bombasted breeches being worn with no covering, the breastplate being finished at the lower edge to allow of it. In other suits, however, the lobster-tail tassets descend to the knees in a dozen or more lames of plate, where they are covered by the genouilliÈres.

GenouilliÈres are of a close-fitting pattern, with small plates defending the outside bends of the legs, and two or more reinforcing plates above and below.

Jambarts.—These are splinted and laminated at the ankles.

Sabbatons are round-toed, closely fitting, and composed of about ten plates (Fig. 399).

Pauldrons.—These are of about five plates coming well forward in order to protect the goussets (Fig. 400).

Brassarts cover the upper arms and are provided with Turners, a device for allowing the arm protections to revolve. The brassarts were made generally in two plates, one having a hollow roped border which fitted over a solid rim provided for it upon the adjoining plate, thus allowing a complete revolution of half the brassart. In addition the arms are protected by coudiÈres and vambraces.

The Gauntlets are of the usual description, but one supplied with the Lea suit is in the Armourers’ Hall, and is of the locking pattern, an invention of the latter part of the sixteenth century. It was often termed the “Forbidden Gauntlet.” Its object was to prevent a weapon being wrenched or forced out of the hand; the extra plate over the fingers is considerably prolonged, and can be securely locked by a hole in the plate engaging with a knob upon the wrist. An example in the Tower is illustrated in Fig. 401. With these Jacobi suits were delivered various extra defences, such as a manifer, polder mitten, grande garde and volante piece, extra pauldron for the right shoulder, &c.

The passion which prevailed for parade armour during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, led, as we have seen, to a high degree of ornamentation being bestowed upon many suits, but perhaps the greatest amount of intricate workmanship was lavished upon the rondaches, or shields, which were made to accompany the armour. In the Wallace Collection there is one of the most beautiful examples in existence, a rondache magnificently embossed and damascened, made for Diane de Poitiers and bearing her monogram and insignia. It dates from c. 1530, and is of Milanese manufacture, probably by the Negrolis. About a century and a half ago it was purchased in Italy for five hundred pounds. There are excellent examples in the Tower, Windsor Castle, and the British Museum, while those at Madrid are renowned for the wealth of ornamentation bestowed upon them. Plate I.*, p. 16, is of Italian make and composed of different pieces screwed together; the four ovals contain representations of classical scenes, and four heads among other decorations are upon the border. A shield which once belonged to Philip II. is shown in Plate II.*, p. 24; while in Plate III.*, p. 32, a German masterpiece by Desiderius Colman, finished in 1552, is shown. This was executed at the time when the fiercest rivalry existed between the Colmans of Augsburg and the Negrolis of Milan. The subjects depicted are War, Peace, Wisdom, and Strength. Another rondache of Augsburg make is given in Plate IV.*, p. 40, whilst Plate V.*, p. 48, and Plate VI.*, p. 56, exhibit two beautiful designs from Italy.

One of the most splendid examples of armour of the Decorative Period in Europe, or, as has been asserted, the most splendid example, is the Ferrara demi-suit once belonging to Alfonso II., Duke of Ferrara, &c. b. 1553, d. 1597 (Fig. 402). The armour dates from c. 1570, and is probably the work of Lucio Picinino; it occupies a prominent position in the Wallace Collection, and asserts pre-eminence even in that wonderful aggregation of examples of beautiful workmanship. The pieces consist of a breastplate of the peascod variety with laminated goussets, and a backplate; a gorget of five lames and a tace of one plate, which could be removed if required from the breastplate; tassets, laminated pauldrons, brassarts, vambraces, and coudiÈres. The entire design of this grand example of the armourer’s art is worked out by embossing from the back to surfaces of different levels, chasing and enriching with fine gold damascening, plating, and overlaying. The work is of remarkably even quality, and is at the present time in an excellent state of preservation. Examples of some of the decorations are given in the beginning of this work, where (to the number of four) they are inserted as ornamental head-and tail-pieces.

A half-suit of armour dating from about the close of the sixteenth century is to be seen in the Wallace Collection. It is of North Italian manufacture and is adorned with vertical bands containing panels of classical figures, interlaced designs, trophies of arms and armour, &c.